Behind the Scenes of Selling a Home
Things a Good Agent Does for Sellers That People Don’t Always See
Most people think selling a home is about putting a sign in the yard and listing it online. What most sellers don’t see is how much work happens before that point, quietly, behind the scenes.
This is the first in a series meant to explain what actually goes into selling a home well.
Pricing a Home Based on Buyer Behavior, Not Just Comps
Most sellers are familiar with comparable sales. A house down the street sold for a certain price, so that feels like the logical place to start.
The part many people don’t realize is that comps are only one piece of the puzzle.
A big part of pricing well comes from researching how buyers are behaving right now. That includes information sellers don’t really have access to on their own, like which homes buyers are choosing to see, which ones they scroll past, and how quickly showings are being scheduled once a home hits the market.
Agents are constantly watching patterns. How long similar homes are sitting before they get traction. Which listings generate strong interest early and which ones struggle even though the price looks reasonable on paper. These details don’t live in one report. They come from daily activity, showing feedback, conversations with other agents, and experience seeing how buyers actually make decisions.
Another thing sellers often don’t see is how pricing affects visibility. The list price determines which searches a home shows up in and which buyers ever see it. A small difference can change whether a home feels like a fit, a stretch, or something buyers skip entirely.
Pricing also affects momentum. The first few days on the market usually get the most attention. How buyers react during that window often sets the tone for everything that follows, including negotiation.
There’s a reason this matters. Industry data consistently shows that homes that are mispriced at the start often sell for less than they could have. Some studies estimate that incorrect initial pricing can cost sellers three to five percent of the final sale price, simply because of lost momentum and buyer hesitation.
That’s real money left on the table, and it often happens quietly.
This is why pricing is not just about finding a number that feels fair or matches a past sale. It’s about understanding buyer behavior in a specific neighborhood, at a specific price point, at this specific moment.
Every home is different. There’s no formula that works every time. The work is in doing the research, watching the patterns, and using that insight to position a home thoughtfully from the very beginning.
Most of this happens long before a sign ever goes in the yard, but it plays a big role in how smoothly the sale unfolds.
Check back next week as we continue sharing more of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into selling a home well.
Know someone who’s thinking about selling?
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Have questions about your own situation?
Every home is different. If you’d like to talk through how any of this applies to your home or timeline, I’m always happy to offer a complimentary, no-pressure conversation.
